Great Northern Distillery Announcement
I am pleased to confirm that as a result of the Chamber introducing John Teeling and Diageo this has ultimately led to them reaching agreement with regard to the Great Northern Brewery. John will now operate the brewery as a distillery.
When Diageo announced the closure of the Great Northern Brewery (Harp) I issued a statement emphasising the need to find a replacement industry for the plant. There had been a number of alternatives uses suggested to me and I had set those out at the time. Within 24 hours John Teeling contacted me and over the next few months we made steady progress. When I then informed Diageo as to the person on whose behalf I was enquiring matters accelerated. When it was considered appropriate I introduced John to the officials in both Louth County Council and Dundalk Town Council. This is a practical example of the Louth Economic Forum bringing private and public sectors together.
This is a vote of confidence in “DE TOWN”, not by a foreign company but by an Irishman who has worked successfully in North Louth for several years. John’s commitment to the region is strong. The tradition of producing first class alcohol products will be maintained. The distillery will generate jobs well into the future with the possibility of further expansion.